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Bambi
Bambi is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942, and is the fifth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. The main characters are Bambi, a white-tailed deer, his parents (the Great Prince of the forest and his unnamed mother), his friends Thumper (a pink-nosed rabbit), and Flower (a skunk), and his childhood friend and future mate, Faline. For the movie, Disney took the liberty of changing Bambi's species of roe deer, since roe deer are not native to North America, and the white-tailed deer is more widespread in the United States. The film received three Academy Award nominations: Best Sound (Sam Slyfield), Best Song (for Love Is a Song sung by Donald Novis) and Original Music Score. In June 2008, the American Film Institute presented a list of its 10 Top 10-the best ten films in each of ten classic American film genres-after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Bambi placed third in animation. In December 2011, the film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. A direct-to-video midquel, Bambi II, was released to DVD on February 7, 2006. Plot A doe gives birth to a fawn named Bambi, who will one day take over the position of Great Prince of the Forest, a title currently held by Bambi's father, who guards the woodland creatures from the dangers of hunters. The fawn is quickly befriended by an eager, energetic rabbit named Thumper, who helps to teach him to walk and speak. Bambi grows up very attached to his mother, with whom he spends most of his time. He soon makes other friends, including a young skunk named Flower and a female fawn named Faline. Curious and inquisitive, Bambi frequently asks about the world around him and is cautioned about the dangers of life as a forest creature by his loving mother. During Bambi's first winter, his mother is shot and killed by a deer hunter while trying to help her son find food, leaving the little fawn mournful and alone. Taking pity on his abandoned son, the Great Prince leads Bambi home. Years later, Bambi has matured into a young stag, and his childhood friends have entered young adulthood as well. They are warned of twitterpation by Friend Owl and that they will eventually fall in love, although the trio view the concept of romance with scorn. However, Thumper and Flower soon both encounter their beautiful romantic counterparts and abandon their former thoughts on love. Bambi himself encounters Faline as a beautiful doe. However, their courtship is quickly interrupted and challenged by a belligerent older stag named Ronno, who attempts to force Faline away from Bambi. Bambi successfully manages to earn rights to the doe's affections and defeats Ronno in battle. Bambi is awakened shortly afterward by the smell of smoke, and is warned of a wildfire by his father. The two flee to safety, although Bambi is separated from Faline in the turmoil and searches for her along the way. He soon finds her cornered by vicious hunting dogs, which he manages to ward off. Bambi, his father, Faline and the forest animals manage to reach shelter on a riverbank. The following spring, Faline gives birth to twins under Bambi's watchful eye as the new Great Prince of the Forest. Cast * Bobby Stewart as baby Bambi * Donnie Dunagan as young Bambi * Hardie Albright as adolescent Bambi * John Sutherland as young adult Bambi * Peter Behn as young Thumper * Tim Davis as adolescent Thumper * Sam Edwards as young adult Thumper * Paula Winslow as Bambi's mother and the Pheasant * Stan Alexander as young Flower * Tim Davis as adolescent Flower * Sterling Holloway as young adult Flower * Will Wright as Friend Owl * Cammie King as young Faline * Ann Gillis as young adult Faline * Fred Shields as Great Prince of the Forest * Margaret Lee as Mrs. Rabbit * Mary Lansing as Aunt Ena and Mrs. Possum * Otis Harlan as Mr. Mole * Bobette Audrey, Thelma Boardman, Janet Chapman, Jeanne Christy, Dolyn Bramston Cook, Marion Darlington, Eddie Holden, Jack Horner, Clarence Nash, Babs Nelson, Sandra Lee Richards, Francesca Santoro & Elouise Wohlwend Songs * Love Is a Song (sung by Donald Novis) * Litte April Shower (sung by chorus * Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song (sung by chorus) * Looking for Romance (I Bring You a Song) (sung by chorus) * Thumper Song International premieres * United Kingdom: August 8, 1942 * United States: August 13, 1942 * Argentina: December 9, 1942 * Mexico: February 4, 1943 * Ireland: February 19, 1943 * Brazil: March 10, 1943 * Australia: April 15, 1943 * Trinidad & Tobago: June 4, 1943 * Uruguay: July 14, 1943 * Sweden: October 4, 1943 * Venezuela: January 16, 1944 * Portugal: January 17, 1944 * Switzerland: March 17, 1944 * Luxembourg: March 17, 1944 * Guatemala: September 21, 1944 * Honduras: October 12, 1944 * Turkey: November 16, 1944 * Canada: July 24, 1945 * Czechoslovakia: October 15, 1945 * Soviet Union: May 17, 1946 * Norway: December 26, 1946 * Denmark: March 3, 1947 * Hong Kong: March 13, 1947 * Finland: August 29, 1947 * Netherlands: September 18, 1947 * Belgium: December 12, 1947 * Italy: February 11, 1948 * France: April 28, 1948 * Poland: June 14, 1948 * Austria: June 10, 1949 * Malaysia: March 6, 1950 * Philippines: June 24, 1950 * Spain: September 11, 1950 * West Germany: December 19, 1950 * Japan: May 26, 1951 * Hungary: July 27, 1961 * Lebanon: June 18, 1969 * Madagascar: July 10, 1970 * Kuwait: December 21, 1987 * Greece: March 7, 2005 International titles * Argentina, Spain, Mexico & Peru: Bambi * Austria & Germany: Bambi * Brazil & Portugal: Bambi * Canada & France: Bambi * Croatia: Bambi * Denmark: Bambi * Finland: Bambi * Greece: Bambi * Hungary: Bambi * Italy: Bambi * Japan: バンビ (Banbi) * Lithuania: Bembis * Netherlands: Bambi * Norway: Bambi * Russia: Bembi * Sweden: Bambi International releases For information about international dubs and releases, Bambi/International. Category:1942 films Category:1940s American animated films Category:American musical films Category:Films produced by Walt Disney Category:Films directed by David Hand Category:Films directed by Bill Roberts Category:Film scores by Frank Churchill Category:Walt Disney Pictures Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films Category:Walt Disney Feature Animation